Dr Iwan adventure to Pagai Island with small boat “Semaganat” fromTeluk Bayoru,staring at afternoon but because the raining and bigger oceoan waves taht night the boat hide at the Cingkuk Island near painan,and one of the student vomining due to the motion sickness, in the next moening the weater more comfertable. Dr Iwan and friend haved “mancing” the bigger tuna fish, and at afternoon after eight hours from cinghkuk ilsand the team arrived at Sipora Island, and Kian the moving sickness student dro there, and Dr Iwan and three team dropped at Siakakap at the north pagai Island. After two days one team lead by Dr Iwan as the senior intership Doctor as the lead with two yunior student and one native Silabu north Pagai island cops wityh the semangat boat which have dropping another team to siberut Island, bring the Dr iwan team via pagai straight between the north and south pagai island, very beutiful journey until cam eto small dusun at South Pagai (now there were biggere arthquacueke 7,2 skaca Richter and Tsunami,many people died and loss, President and vice presiden of Republic Indonesia this day visit that location by helicopter from Padang city, also the POLRI and Indonesian Armed forced by ship get helping persons and foods), after that went to silabu the center village of nothern pagai island, more detail story read the Dr iwan Adventure in Pagai island at hhtp://www.iwansuwandy.wordpress.com and hhtp://www.uniquecollection.wordpress.com search Dr Iwan Adventures at mentawai island.)

(1) the Ducth writer justus van Maurik had published about his adventure to Indonesia in 1896 , the name of the Book “INDIE” ,and he visit mentawai island , some of the rare picture book illustrations look below.

a) book cover

b) Mentawai Chief

c) Husband and wife

d) The Villige house

The Mentawai Islands
The Mentawai Islands lie to the West of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean.
They are composed of over seventy different islands. The islands
straddle the equator, which explains the lush temperate climate that is
associated with Indonesia. The history of the Mentawai Islands begins
between 2000 and 500 BC. The islands where once a part of Sumatra
and during the Pleistocene Era the islands were separated. The culture
of the Mentawai people is distinctly different from their fellow
Indonesians because of how long they’ve been separated from each
other. The islands were have been influenced culturally by the British,
the Dutch, the Germans, and finally by Catholic Italian missionaries.
Currently the Mentawai’s are considered regency within the Suatera
Barat.

There are over twenty different endemic species spread through
out the seventy islands. There are four endemic primate species on the
islands; the Kloss Gibbon, the Mentawai Macaque, Mentawai leaf-
monkey and the sub-nosed monkey. In total the Mentawai’s house at

least seventeen endemic mammal species. Other common animals (at
least in these islands) are sea turtles, dolphins, fruit pigeons, endemic
squirrels, tropical fish like parrotfish, sharks, snakes and many more.
The Mentawai’s are composed of lush tropical rainforests, mangroves,
coral reefs, and beautiful white sand beaches. Some of which are
protected by the government. The Siberut National Park is one of the
most famous protected areas. Not only can you see the beautiful
vegetation of the Siberut Island, but you can also experience the lives
of indigenous Mentawai tribes.

The islands lie over one of the most active earthquake zones in
the entire world; because of its location the Mentawai’s are very much
at risk for tsunamis and earthquakes.

The culture of the Mentawai people is becoming increasingly
difficult to preserve because of rapid globalization. Historically the
people were jungle inhabitants until the Indonesian government forced
people to live in villages, thus becoming more modernized. Before they
lived in the government-run villages, the people lived in umas, which
are traditional long houses where an entire clan would live in. Before
modernization, the people of the Mentawai have lived off of the
tropical rainforests and of the natural resources that were available.
Everyone, including women and children were treated as equals.
Sikeireis or shamans, who shared everything that they knew with their

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people, led the clans. With modernization came modern life styles,
many people renounced their clans and became more concerned with
materialistic ideals and thoughts. The government does provide school
for the children of the islands, but they tend to ignore the indigenous
history and culture of the Mentawai people.

The traditional religion of the Mentawai Islands is a form of
animism called Jarayak. This form of religion isn’t allowed by the
Indonesian government, many people have converted to either Islam
or to Christianity, but at the same time many people still practice
Jarayak.

The Mentawai’s have become an incredibly popular surf
destination, not only for professional surfers, but also for surfers of all
skill levels since the mid-1990’s. One of the most popular ways to
enjoy the Islands is to take boat trips that take visitors to surf
locations around all of the islands. Another option is to stay at one of
the many hotels and resorts that are on the islands. These places
accommodate all of a surfer’s needs by providing the best in food and
service with transportation to the best waves. The most popular
islands with the best surf are Suberut, Sipora, and North and South
Pagai Islands. The most well known surfing area is called Playgrounds.
It is one of the worlds greatest spots to surf bringing in top surfers like
Andy Irons, Kelly Slater, and my all time favorite Taj Burrow. Many of

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Taj Burrow’s videos are filmed in the Mentawai Islands, especially at
Macaroni’s, North Pagai and Lance’s Left, South Pagai. Surfing became
huge during a period during 1995 and still continues to gain more
fame as surfers continue to go and explore all of the wonders that the
Mentawai’s offer. The surfing industry has greatly expanded the
economy of the islands.

Tourism is now a huge industry. Since the 1980’s luxury resorts
are springing up all around the islands to cater to all a visitor’s wants
and needs. Fishing, surfing, relaxation, snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking,
hiking, learning about the culture and people, and just enjoying the
hospitality of the friendly Indonesian people are some of the things
that attract visitors to the islands.

The disaster-prone expanse of Indonesia has suffered three powerful blows to the region that has left over one hundred people dead Tuesday –and all three disasters were within hours of each other.

The fault that caused one of the world’s largest natural disasters back in December 2004, when a powerful earthquake trembled undersea and sent raging water to 14 countries in Indonesia, killing over 230,000 people, unleashed a strong undersea earthquake late Monday registering 7.7 in magnitude. The quake triggered a 10-foot tsunami that struck Tuesday, killing over 100 people and leaving thousands homeless.

According to officials, the tsunami struck the Mentawai Islands, a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra, Siberut being the largest, that has become a destination popular among foreign surfers. The death toll from the tsunami is currently 113 – but steadily rising. Mujiharto, head of the Health Ministry’s crisis center, expects the toll to rise significantly.

“We have 200 body bags on the way, just in case,” he said. Meanwhile, between 150 and 500 people have been reported missing.

In addition to the killer tsunami were the eruptions of ash from Indonesia’s Merapi Volcano, located on the island of Java, that left one dead and about a dozen injured. Thousands living on the wall of the volcano have evacuated the area due to the smoke.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago that houses approximately 237 million people, is located on a string of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia known as the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ – making it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic activity.